Breaking News – Scoop from the National 2012 Topps baseball to be 7 series.

Yes, it appears that Topps is bringing back the 132 card set series. According to an anonymous source, there are plans to release 2012 Topps baseball cards in 7 series. The first six series(132 cards each) will be issued in each of the first 6 months of the year. This means series 1 will be released in January, series 2 in February and so on until series 6 is released in June. The first 6 series will total 792 cards.

The final series will be released well after the end of the season but this series will include more than 132 cards. This series may include 264 or 330 cards.

Also, an undetermined number of regular cards will have variations front photos. Along those lines, it does appear, at least, redemption autographs are back but with a twist. The redemption auto cards will have a variation front photo of the regular addition card. Thus, for example, a Chipper Jones will have a regular photo front and regular back, a variation photo front and regular back and a variation photo front and redemption autograph code back. (caveat  -It is not known if Chipper Jones is on the autograph list). It is not known if relics will be under the same system or if there will be on card/sticker autographs will be inserted into packs.   

There is more. First it appears that the number of cards per pack will reduced to 7 cards and get this, with a suggested 99 cent retail price.  The number of different inserts will be drastically reduced from the previous years. However, there will be one additional insert. The insert is designed to give collectors an incentive to collect all 7 series.

Yes, 2012 Bowman will be inserted into the Topps series. 2012 Bowman will be inserted at a rate of one card per pack. Tentatively, each Topps series will include a 40 card Bowman insert set. There will also be a Bowman prospect inserts set. Each Topps series will include a 15 card Bowman prospect insert set. Thus, the first 6 Topps series will yield a 240 card Bowman set and a 90 card Bowman prospect set. Tentatively, there will be Bowman redemption autographs under the same premise as Topps cards. The auto redemption cards will have a regular or variation photo front and you won’t know if got an autograph card unless you turn it over (So collectors make sure you look at the back of all your cards).

A 36 pack box (for each series) should easily yield a complete Topps set and a near complete Bowman set. There will probably be one other insert added to each series.

At this time it appears Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects will be included as an insert set in the seventh series of Topps baseball. As for all you chromies, there are no plans to include Bowman Chrome as an insert in the Topps set. Thus the Bowman Chrome set will stand on its own and it be the only place where you can get Bowman Chrome (which of course makes sense). It also appears Bowman Chrome will have a much larger checklist (veterans, rookies and prospects) and different pack configuration.

Finally, there will be a rare celebrity card autograph added to every other case. Some of the celebrities to be included, tentatively, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robin Williams, Judy Garland (cut), Patrick Duffy and Bruce Willis.

No photos at this time.

Big Head Cards

I decided to do one post on these cards because they all have something in common. The players head takes up about 80 percent or more of the card.

Jeff Burroughs leads off as the number one big head card. Heck, Jeff Burroughs chin almost touches the bottom of the photo and the top of his cap almost touches the top of the photo.  Darrell Porter comes in at number two. Garry Templeton comes in at number three.  

Jerry Royster and Bob Watson come in as number 4 and 5 and I would say their heads come in about 75 percent of the card. In fact,  Bob and Jerry were actually was able to get their bats into the photo.

Some interesting back facts: Burroughs was 1^st player selected in June ’69 amateur draft and signed a reported $80,000 bonus with the old Washington Senators (Texas). Porter was only the 2^nd catcher in AL history to get 100 RBI, runs and walks in same season. Templeton was the first player in history to get 100 hits from each side of the plate in the same season. Watson is only player in history to hit for the cycle in both leagues. On the back of Jerry Royster card was this quote “Still a man without a position”.

Edit Note: On second thought maybe Porter should be number 1.

The Iconic Series: 1972 Topps Roberto Clemente

The three smoothest baseball players ever in my opinion are Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter and this guy.  And this card is probably one of the smoothest cards of all time. Here you have Roberto standing for his photo leisurely tossing a baseball a foot or two in the air. This card is smooth because what you have here is a posed shot that does not look like a posed shot. The photographer captured the ball just at the right spot, as you can see both stitches on the ball.  Clemente is not looking into the camera as he stands ever so slightly on an angle with one unseen knee slightly bent. This card easily is more iconic than his horizontal rookie card or any other card. This unique photo was somewhat recreated on 2008 Topps Chrome Clete Thomas (why Clete, I don’t know that just makes it bizarre).

The Iconic Series: 1976-77 Topps Bobby Clarke (airbrush teeth)

This card captures the essence of Clarke who was still near the top of his game. It shows that Clarke was a 1^st Team  All-Star (this All-Star logo was one  of the best of all time for any Topps set). It is a great Topps design. This card is iconic for what it does not show, and that is Bobby Clarke’s teeth. If you look closely at the open mouth Clarke you can not see any teeth. If you know anything about Clarke, you know Topps did not airbrush his teeth.

Tommy Davis #648 (Tommy v. Tom)

One of the cool things that the 982 Donruss baseball set had were coaches cards. Here on this card Tommy Davis is giving a stern look as he appears to be trying not to laugh.

His card gives you a double dose of the Mariner logo, and the stadium background is identifiable but I can’t remember which stadium featured the Phillips 76 logo that isprominent in the background.

Also, it is interesting that Tommy is referred to as Tommy as opposed to Tom. On the back of his card his name is listed as Tommy Davis. I guess the name Tommy is a name within itself. While Tom is short for Thomas.

The Iconic Series: 1978-79 Topps Julius Erving

 Dr. J's rookie card showed him in a Virginia Squires uniform and not many people remember him playing for that team. This card just beat out his 1977-78 and 1981-82 Topps cards. This card stands out because it is different, it shows him warming up and shooting in a Philadelphia 76er practice jacket and there is a nice head shot showing Dr. J enormous a-fro that he was famous for in his younger days. It also has a decent All-Star banner acknowledgement at the bottom of the card.  It was just a beautiful  blending of  Dr. J’s past and future.

The Iconic Series: 1981 Topps Andre Dawson

I chose this card barely over the Hawk’s 1978 Topps second year card. Here is another player that shared his rookie card with other players thus diminishing his rookie card in iconic terms. The thing that stands out about this card is that Topps captured him in his full blue Expos uniform and it goes well with the green border design (as the Expos Caps logo in the bottom left hand corner really works) and green color background  makes this card really stand out.